


The 365 Days Since Scott Saved Theo's Life

by OnlyHalfwayHome (NotLostAnymore)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bad Decisions, Break Up, Canon-Typical Violence, Communication Failure, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Loneliness, M/M, Male Bonding, McCall Pack, Minor Character Death, Pack Feels, Slow Burn, Spoilers for S5 Finale, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-05-27 06:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6274096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotLostAnymore/pseuds/OnlyHalfwayHome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scott wasn't even sure why he did it, he just grabbed Theo and pulled him away from his uncertain fate. He only realized afterwards that his hands would be covered in any blood Theo spilled from then on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Days 1 to 22

**Day 0**

Scott wasn’t sure why the hell he’d done it. He certainly hadn’t planned to but when he heard Theo calling his name, practically begging for help… well Scott hated the thought of leaving somebody to some cruel unknown fate when he could have saved them. So he’d rushed forward and pulled Theo out of the hole he was being dragged into.

Except now Stiles was looking at him as if he’d just slit his own throat and the betrayal in Kira’s face stung right down to Scott’s heart. Nobody looked happy with the choice Scott had made but he wasn’t sure he’d even _made_ the decision. He’d just acted on his never-ending need to rescue somebody asking for help. He hadn’t even stopped to think about how Theo probably deserved it, how it was a just revenge for all of the misery he’d put the pack through – hell, what he’d put _him_ through. Scott and Theo’s recent history had been nothing short of complicated and yet here he was with the chimera’s life safe thanks to him.

Even Theo looked surprised at what he’d done. Scott was sure the expression was mirrored on his own face. Guilt was already starting to creep in as he realized how much more pain he was going to put his pack through just by saving the other. Apparently he wasn’t the only one thinking it either.

“What the hell did you just do?!” Stiles snapped, sounding angrier than Scott had heard him in a long time.

Scott wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t have any rational excuse, at least not anything that would make sense to his pack. “I… I don’t know.”

 

**Day 2**

Theo’s silence was starting to worry Scott. He had the chimera chained up to his radiator the way Stiles had always done with him on full moons back before he had Derek to guide him or understood anything about anchors. Theo hadn’t struggled or tried to escape or anything, he was just silent. Scott had no doubt that he was plotting something and it was going to come back to bite him in the ass but right now he wasn’t sure he had the energy to confront him.

The pack weren’t speaking to him. Or at least Stiles, Kira, Liam and Malia weren’t. Lydia had stopped by that morning and while she’d remained polite and level-headed Scott could tell she was angry and didn’t understand why he’d saved Theo. He didn’t exactly have any answers for her.

“I suggest you work out what you’re going to do about him soon,” she said rather curtly upon her exit. Scott understood the warning in her words but it only served to make him feel uneasy. He couldn’t keep Theo chained up in his bedroom forever, could he?

The more he thought about it though, the more his immediate rescue started to make sense in his head. Theo hadn’t always been a bad guy. He still remembered what he was like as a kid, back when he had bad asthma and Scott had been there to help him out. Maybe it was hopeless optimism but Scott had to believe there was still a part of that Theo in there buried under everything the Dread Doctors had put him through and all the hate he allowed himself to fester in since.

No, it was stupid to think like that. This was what Stiles was talking about when he said Scott always chose to see the glass half full. The Theo he remembered from their childhood wasn’t coming back, he was too far gone. Scott had made a mistake saving his life and he was going to pay the price for it.

 

**Day 4**

“Why did you save me?”

Scott almost thought he’d imagined the voice that came from the other side of the room. He’d been working late in the night on a project he was falling behind on and he was tired so it made total sense that he could imagine Theo had broken his four-day silence. Except when he looked up from his laptop and over at the other, the chimera was giving him a look that said he expected an answer.

“I couldn’t just leave you to die,” Scott muttered in response, not quite able to meet the other’s eyes. “That’s not who I am.”

Theo didn’t say anything else for the rest of the night. He watched Scott work in silence but when Scott finally called it a night and shut down his laptop the other was already fast asleep.

 

**Day 5**

Saving Theo had ruined Scott’s life a lot quicker than he’d expected. He wasn’t dead or bleeding or even hurt but he was sick with worry whenever he left the house, especially if his mom was home alone with Theo, and his friends still weren’t speaking to him. Stiles wouldn’t even look him in the eye anymore He’d given up trying to eat with them at lunch. Instead he sat with some of the boys on the lacrosse team who were more than a little confused by his sudden appearance on their table.

Facing the silent treatment from Kira and Liam was rough enough as it was but the real killer was being abandoned by Stiles. Things had been rocky between them when Theo had first come back to town but this was even worse. It was as if saving Theo from the skinwalkers had told Stiles that he was siding with him rather than his life-long best friend. It wasn’t true at all but Stiles wouldn’t even give him the time of day to explain himself. The worst part was Scott couldn’t even blame him for it. He’d messed up big time and he knew it.

Deaton was luckily a little more understanding than his friends. His boss always had a way to make things sound reasonable and he put Scott at a temporary ease from the anxiety he’d been feeling for days. “You did what you felt like you had to,” the man assured him, his hand resting on Scott’s shoulder and filling him with a warmth he desperately needed. “You’re not a killer, Scott, nor a fool. It’s unreasonable of your friends to think you could be the former and just as unreasonable of you to consider the latter.” Scott wasn’t sure if that was necessarily the case but he felt comforted for it anyhow.

“Do you know what you’re going to do about Theo?” Deaton asked. Scott shifted uncomfortably on the spot and shook his head. “And you said he’s not tried to escape at all?”

“He barely even speaks. I’ve only got like five words out of him,” Scott offered in reply. Theo had once again fallen silent after his question the night before.

Deaton seemed to consider that for a few moments before speaking again. “Come back to me in a few days. I may have something that might help,” he offered. Scott allowed himself to cling onto that hope. He was in too far over his head and just for once he wanted somebody else to make the tough decisions for him.

 

**Day 7**

Theo spoke for the second time during dinner that night. Scott’s mom had refused to cook for the unwanted guest so Scott had taken to preparing meals for the other and feeding him. He wasn’t about to give Theo access to cutlery he could potentially use as a weapon. It was uncomfortable and awkward feeding the other boy knowing that weeks ago he had been plotting his murder – and probably still was – but Scott wasn’t prepared to let him starve either. Two meals a day wasn’t much but it was what he had to do in order to feel okay with himself. He was starting to feel bad that Theo couldn’t even get up and walk around but he knew those kind of thoughts were dangerous. He couldn’t let Theo have that freedom or who knew what he would do with it.

“Scott?” Theo muttered, his voice hoarse and cracked from days of disuse. Scott paused, fork full of baked potato awkwardly held in the air. Nothing about this situation was normal and the pause only highlighted that in Scott’s brain. What was he even doing? “Thank you.”

The simple phrase was enough to turn Scott’s stomach. He felt sick. He didn’t want any thanks or praise from Theo, the words were tainted even before they left his lips. Scott felt an anger burn up inside of him, an anger rooted in the fact that his friends all felt betrayed because he’d dared to save Theo’s life. Being the hero had cost him everybody he had been desperately trying to keep safe for years now.

“Don’t,” he said firmly, forcing the food into Theo’s mouth just for an excuse to shut him up. Suddenly he much preferred it when Theo was silent.

 

**Day 8**

“So it’s a spell?” Scott asked, not sure he was quite understanding what his boss was saying to him. It was a lot of information to take in at once after all.

“For lack of a better word, yes. Think of it was a binding between yourself and Theo. You’ll remain control and he won’t be allowed more than fifty feet from you,” Deaton explained, his expression as neutral as ever. He wasn’t recommending Scott do this but he wasn’t saying it was a bad idea either. He was giving Scott the option and that made things so much worse.

Scott didn’t want to be the one to decide but he knew that he had to be. He’d been the one to make the mistake of saving Theo and now the other boy’s life was his responsibility. If anybody died because of Theo then that blood was on Scott’s hands and he had to live with it.

“I’ll think about it.”

Deaton smiled sympathetically. “You don’t have to rush this decision. Make sure you’re prepared for the responsibility before you commit. I’m sure I can find other options.”

Scott just smiled. It was nice to know that at least one person was fighting in his corner for him.

 

**Day 10**

Theo looked terrible. He had barely moved for days and was even more unresponsive than usual when Scott tried to feed him. He wondered this was just one of Theo’s tricks to make him bring his guard down and it was very possible but that didn’t make him feel any better about himself. So for the second time in ten days, Scott made a decision he wasn’t sure he totally agreed with and undid the chains keeping Theo tied to the radiator.

“If you try and leave this room, I will break your arms and legs,” he threatened when Theo gave him a confused expression. Gritting his teeth together, Scott grabbed Theo by the arm and pulled him up. The boy was so weak on his legs that he almost immediately stumbled over. Scott had to keep hold of him just to make sure he didn’t fall right back down.

Instead of attacking Scott or making an attempt to escape, Theo just stumbled around the room as if re-learning how to use his legs. After an hour of stretching out his limbs, he laid down on Scott’s bed and promptly passed out. Scott let him stay there while he remained at his desk, looking up from his homework every now and then to make sure the other boy hadn’t moved. Theo looked so peaceful in his sleep that it was hard to match him up with the same boy who had tried and technically succeeded in killing him a few months before.

It was two in the morning before Scott shook Theo awake and led him back to the radiator. He felt almost guilty as he chained the chimera back up and made a point not to look him in the eyes. There was no struggle which Scott was thankful for but Theo apparently wasn’t going to let the day end without making his savior feel uneasy once more. “Have a nice sleep,” he muttered.

Scott spent the rest of the night wide awake, wondering if it had been a threat or an understated thanks without having to say the exact words.

 

**Day 11**

“He’s not even chained up?!” Stiles screamed, grabbing Scott by his jacket and pushing him against the lockers. Scott was so caught off guard that he didn’t even resist even though he could have easily forced his best friend’s hands off of him. “Are you crazy?”

Truth be told, Scott wasn’t sure how Stiles had found out that Theo had spent the past day out of his chains but he was beginning to panic anyway. He hated arguing with Stiles anyway but this was public and the rest of the pack were watching, not to mention their classmates who had no idea what was going on.

“He is,” Scott assured him but apparently it did nothing to calm Stiles down. His nostrils flared and his grip on Scott’s jacket only tightened.

“I saw you! Yesterday, he was on your bed and there were no chains, nothing to stop him from jumping out of the window, _nothing!_ ”

Scott wasn’t sure if there was anything he could say that would calm Stiles down. He had always known that Theo was a sore spot for the other boy but he’d expected their eventual discussion about him to be a little more reasonable. He certainly hadn’t expected Stiles to be looking through his window to see if he’d actually done anything about the chimera he’d taken prisoner. God, if Stiles knew about Deaton’s offer then he’d probably commit homicide on the spot.

“He _has_ been chained up,” Scott insisted, trying to keep his voice quiet so they couldn’t be overheard. He didn’t need people thinking he had a boyfriend who was into some really kinky stuff that shouldn’t be discussed in school. God, he could already imagine what those counselling sessions would be like. “And I was there to watch him. He hasn’t moved in ten days Stiles, what else was I supposed to do?

“I don’t know, let him die?” Stiles snarked in response, finally pulling his hands off of Scott’s jacket and stepping back. “You know, I thought you were smarter than this,” he spat as he stepped back into the ranks of the pack. Scott was forced to look at them and take in the variations of hurt and betrayal that were etched across all of their faces. Even Lydia looked disappointed in him.

For a moment he wanted to assure them that he had things under control. That Theo wasn’t going to be a threat. The words never made it past his lips though. He couldn’t feed his friends empty lies like that when he didn’t even believe them himself. He didn’t know what to do about Theo and it was eating him up. So instead of addressing the issue, he just turned on his heel and walked home.

Somehow Theo seemed like more tolerable company.

 

**Day 14**

“Scott, I don’t feel easy having him in the house. He’s a _killer_! It keeps me up at night thinking about what he might do if he gets free,” Melissa sighed, the worry and fear lining her face. Somehow this hurt even more than the pack’s distrust did.

“He’s not going to get free, mom. I promise,” Scott lied, hating himself for every moment of it. He didn’t want to lie to his mother or to his friends but he couldn’t keep Theo locked up forever, his conscience wouldn’t allow it. As long as he was always there to keep Theo in check things would be fine. “I’d never let him hurt you.”

His mom’s expression darkened. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”

 

**Day 16**

Theo asked about Scott’s history assignments. It seemed like a safe enough topic to discuss so Scott opened up. It wasn’t terribly interesting, just important dates and names from the civil war. Theo knew a surprising amount about it and even offered a few suggestions for essay topics.

It was the first friendly conversation Scott had had in weeks.

 

**Day 19**

Much to Scott’s surprise, he received a visit from a member of his pack. Well, he wasn’t sure if Mason qualified as a pack member or if he could even call them _his_ pack considering how long it had been since he last spoke to them, but he appreciated the visit.

Even more surprising, Mason wasn’t angry with him. He wasn’t there to pass along Liam’s anger either which was what Scott had been expecting. He just wanted to ask how Scott was doing and whether he had the situation under control. “I do,” he bluffed, hiding all of his worries and fears behind a smile. Mason seemed convinced.

Scott knew Theo had been listening in from the expression the other gave him when he returned to his room. “You wanted it to be Stiles, didn’t you?” he asked in an impassive tone. Scott fixed him with a glare and got back to work on his assignments. He refused to listen to any of Theo’s suggestions for the rest of the night.

 

**Day 21**

Scott had let Theo out of his chains once more. This time the boy was awake for longer but he was still curled up on Scott’s bed, enjoying the comforts that had been afforded to him for a short time. Scott had made sure to draw the curtains before he’d let Theo free, just in case Stiles or anybody was spying on them. He couldn’t let them think he was being careless about Theo because he wasn’t. Quite the opposite, he was caring too much.

Now that his history assignment was over Scott found he had a lot of free time on his hands. He didn’t exactly have friends he could hang out with and he still didn’t feel comfortable leaving the house for long periods of time. Luckily there was no looming threat to keep him distracted. Beacon Hills was quiet for the time being and it seemed like both a blessing and a curse because Scott was starting to feel bored.

When Scott suggested they play some Gears of War together on his Xbox he was pretty sure Theo’s jaw dropped a fraction. The chimera tried to hide his reaction of course but Scott could see the excitement hidden behind the other’s eyes. Considering how bored Scott had been he couldn’t even begin to imagine how Theo felt. Then again the boy had no doubt had his thoughts to occupy him and Scott really didn’t want to know what was going on in that brain of his.

“You’re _really_ bad at this,” he laughed after his sixth successive kill on Theo. The other boy just scowled at him. Thirty seconds later and Theo had his first kill of the game. Scott blamed himself for jinxing it.

They played for hours without stopping and Scott found himself glad for the distraction. For a moment he felt like he was just chilling with Stiles the way they had done for years but Theo’s frustrated death noises were so different from Stiles’ and he gloated far less whenever he got a kill. That realization killed Scott’s mood somewhat but he forced himself to smile and keep playing. For just a few hours he wasn’t an alpha of a pack who hated him and Theo wasn’t the sociopath who had betrayed everyone he had ever met, they were just two teenage boys desperately trying to beat the other at a dumb video game.

When the gaming had thoroughly exhausted the both of them, Scott allowed Theo to remain on his bed for a little longer. They sat there in silence, both staring up at the ceiling. Scott willed himself to stay awake. He couldn’t let Theo spend the night out of his chains, he knew the boy would take any chance he could to get the hell out of there. Luckily he wasn’t distracted from his own drowsiness by Theo suddenly speaking up.

“I didn’t think you’d actually save me,” he croaked, breaking the tension Scott hadn’t even realized had built up in their silence. “I thought you’d let me get dragged under.”

Scott didn’t reply. What could he say to that? That he wished he had? That he’d made a mistake saving Theo and now he was paying the price for it every day?

“I know you don’t want to hear it but I am grateful,” Theo continued. Scott wanted to tell him to be quiet but he didn’t, he forced himself to hear the other out. He’d spent too long telling Theo to be quiet when it was becoming more and more obvious that Theo was the only person that actually _wanted_ to talk to him. “I don’t admit this easily but, yeah, I was scared. So… thank you.”

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Scott decided that he’d had enough. “Come on, I need sleep.” Theo complied as easily as always, walking over to the radiator and offering his hands for the chains. Scott gave him the briefest of smiles to thank him for his co-operation.

 

**Day 22**

“Have you thought any more about my offer?” Deaton asked. It was the first time he’d brought it up since that initial meeting two weeks before. Scott had appreciated the time to think about his choice but now he felt a little surer of what he wanted to do. He thought about the Theo who had complied every time he’d been locked back in those chains and the Theo who had helped him with his assignments or played on the Xbox with him just the night before. Maybe Scott wasn’t a hundred percent sure that he was making the right decision but at least he’d given it some thought this time. He wasn’t rushing into it again.

“I want to give it a shot. I think I’m— _he’s_ ready.”

Deaton fixed him with a serious look. “Are you sure?” he asked, still calm and collected. Scott took the moment to reconsider, wondering whether this was the opportunity Theo had been waiting for to finally get back at him and his pack. It was always a possibility but it was a risk he was going to have to take. He couldn’t keep Theo as his prisoner for the rest of his life, it wasn’t fair.

“I’m sure,” he confirmed, ready to handle the responsibility for this choice, “Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rest assured that this fic won't be as messed up as my other Theo fics are. I'm going to do my best not to woobify him either, he's definitely not suddenly "better" and that's something Scott's going to have to face up to in future chapters. I'm not saying that Scott's choices here are right or trying to present him as a saint. That "Bad Decisions" tag is up there for a reason, yo!
> 
> I'd also like to reiterate that I don't hate Stiles or the rest of the pack, I just thought this would be the most believable reaction from them given the circumstances and future chapters will show them in a better light, I promise!


	2. Days 23 to 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The consequences of saving Theo begin to pile up.

**Day 23**

Theo seemed a little nervous when Deaton came to the house after school was over. It was hidden behind his usual calculated expression, of course, but Scott could see it there. Having spent the last twenty-two days with Theo during most of his waking moments he had gotten used to reading the other boy’s expressions. His thoughts, though? Not so much. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to know what Theo was thinking because he was sure that it was some plot to murder him at any given moment. Would giving him some more freedom help that? Likely not but Scott couldn’t live like this anymore. Even if Theo was a bad person it just wasn’t right to keep him locked up in his bedroom night and day.

Maybe he could have turned him over to the police but there was a part of Scott that wondered just how safe he’d be there. Stiles would no doubt convince his father to allow him access to Theo and well, Scott really didn’t want to know what Stiles was planning to do to Theo either. They were like fire and ice heading for a collision and he wanted to avoid that happening for as long as possible.

“What’s he doing here?” Theo asked, his tone cold and distrusting. Deaton certainly wasn’t looking at Theo with an expression of warmth or sympathy so maybe the boy’s suspicion was somewhat understandable. It wasn’t like Scott had explained his boss’ offer to Theo beforehand because he hadn’t been sure if he would actually go through with it until the day before. Even now he was doubting whether this was the right decision or not. He was still going to be keeping Theo on a tight leash, watching him wherever he went, but affording somebody like Theo freedom when he most likely couldn’t be trusted was a risky move. Then again Scott had pulled off some pretty impressive risky moves before. It wasn’t like Theo was the worst thing he’d ever come up against. The most messed up maybe but there was a way to straighten him out, he was sure of it. Those brief nights of peace in the other’s company had proven that the boy he had once known was still in there whether he believed it himself or not.

“He’s going to be doing a spell,” Scott explained. (“A binding,” Deaton corrected.) He wasn’t sure he understood it all himself but it was a way to keep Theo nearby and make sure he wasn’t ever given true freedom. He wouldn’t be able to raise another chimera pack or take another life without Scott knowing about it and being there to stop it. “You’ll be bound to me. You get fifty feet away from me and you’re going to pass out. If you try to run, I’ll know.”

Theo frowned for a few moments before slowly nodding. “Okay,” he said slowly, pushing himself up onto his feet and rattling his chains. “What about these? Am I going to school in handcuffs?” he joked. Scott’s lips pulled up either side into the smallest of smiles.

“I’ll think about it.” Truth be told he wasn’t sure what he was going to do about school. He couldn’t just stop going altogether but he knew the moment the pack saw Theo all hell was going to break loose. He just had to believe that they’d all keep a level head in a public setting like that, even if that seemed unlikely given Stiles’ last outburst at him.

The binding spell didn’t seem all that technical but Scott didn’t pay any attention to the specifics that Deaton was sorting out. He was busy watching Theo, taking notice of every look the other gave, every question he asked the veterinarian. He was only snapped out of his concentration on Theo when he heard his own name. “Scott, take Theo’s hand.”

Scott just blinked. “His hand?” he repeated. Deaton didn’t even nod, he just had to glance up at him and Scott smiled sheepishly. “Uh, of course.” Doing his best to ignore the smug expression on Theo’s face as their hands clasped together, he instead did his best to convince himself that he wasn’t making a big mistake.

A cloud of smoke rose from the mortar Deaton had placed his ingredients in – Scott had to stop himself from calling it a potion, even if he really wanted to – and surrounded their hands. As the cloud touched their skin, Scott felt a burning sensation and was forced to grit his teeth together. He wanted to pull away but he knew he couldn’t. Hell, he wasn’t sure if Deaton’s spell would even let him remove his hand. It was only when the cloud dissipated that the pain ceased and Scott let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“You can let go of Theo now,” Deaton told him. Scott sharply pulled his hand away, sparing a glance up to Theo’s face to gouge his reaction. He was frustratingly passive about the whole thing but Scott supposed he would rather have that than a smirk that would have put Jackson to shame. Theo seemed to be pretty damn good at those.

“You never said it was going to hurt,” Scott mumbled, sparing a glance up at his boss. A wry smile spread across Deaton’s face.

“You never asked.”

Scott waited for Deaton to leave before finally turning around to address Theo. The other boy had his cuffed hands up again, as if waiting for them to be removed. He ignored the request, instead placing his hand on Theo’s chest and pushing him up against the wall. “I’m warning you now, if you so much as touch a hair on anybody’s head I will rip your throat out,” he growled, claws extended and digging lightly against the other’s skin.

“Understood,” Theo confirmed, although his expression said otherwise. He didn’t believe Scott had it in him to follow through with that threat. Truth be told, Scott wasn’t sure he did either. He couldn’t even bring himself to let anybody else kill Theo, after all.

He left the cuffs on Theo for the rest of the day, just to be safe.

 

**Day 24**

“It’s Saturday. Where the hell are you taking me?” Theo asked, his face creased into a frown as he followed Scott down the stairs of the McCall house. It was the first time he’d left Scott’s room since he’d first been chained up there and Scott felt the boy deserved a little bit of freedom already.

He didn’t reply until they were in the garage and he’d fished out what he was looking for – two old skateboards he hadn’t used in years. It wasn’t as if he had much time for skating considering how crazy Beacon Hills had been over the past few years. “You told me you used to skate, so I’m hoping you weren’t lying about that,” he explained, pushing one of the boards against Theo’s chest.

“I wasn’t,” Theo confirmed, checking over the board with a smile. Scott fought his own smile back down. Instead he just nodded and guided Theo out onto the street.

He half expected Theo to make a break for it then and there. He wouldn’t have gotten far of course but Scott was pretty sure it was what he would have done if their situations had been reversed. Thankfully Theo was smarter than that, he just placed the wheels of his board on the ground and started to skate. He was a little shaky from lack of practice but Scott wasn’t much better himself. “There’s a skate park a few blocks away,” he suggested, “I thought that might be a good way to spend the day.” Theo certainly didn’t seem to be arguing.

Scott did his best not to think about the fact Theo’s skateboard had actually been bought by his mom for Stiles. Of course his best friend had nowhere near the grace required to physically stay on the board for any longer than a few seconds at a time but it had been the thought that counted, or at least that was what Stiles had said. He’d given up trying to skate after a few months and Scott had stopped soon after because it just wasn’t fun without his best friend.

At first having Theo out in the open felt like a major risk and Scott took every precaution he could. He made sure Theo stayed in front of him and didn’t get too far away. He made sure to watch around them for any prying eyes and listen closely in case he caught whispers of Stiles’ voice. God, he couldn’t stop thinking of him. He hated arguing with his best friend but he couldn’t stop feeling like Stiles was wrong in this situation. Maybe Scott had made a rash decision but he was trying to deal with it as responsibly as he could and Stiles just wanted to take the quick and easy path to get rid of Theo for good. There wasn’t a middle ground they could possibly meet at.

Eventually though Scott allowed himself to relax and stop overthinking every little thing. He stumbled off of his board a few times but the longer they spent, the more comfortable he felt. Theo was much more advanced with his tricks and Scott had paused to watch him in amazement before attempting to replicate what he had seen – to less impressive results, no doubt. Theo had laughed and given him tips and hours later when they were finally leaving the skate park Scott had almost forgotten how on edge he’d been on the way there.

He still made Theo sleep while chained to the radiator, just to be safe, but this time he had an air mattress set up with a pillow and blanket to make sure he was comfortable. His mom hadn’t exactly approved but Scott knew he couldn’t keep denying Theo basic comforts. He was still chained up, it wasn’t like he was going to be able to hurt anyone so was a makeshift bed really that terrible a thing to provide the other boy with?

 

**Day 26**

_Theo’s hands were around his neck, claws digging into the skin. Scott could feel the blood trickling down his back even with his body as broken as it was. The chimera’s knees pinned his wrists down to the ground, keeping him in place as the life was slowly choked out of him. Scott gasped for air, desperate to plead for his life but unable to even croak out a single word._

_The worst part was Theo’s smile. He could tell the boy had been waiting to do this for days – months, maybe. He’d bided his time, waited until Scott was alienated from his friends and family and then he’d broken the Alpha like nobody had been able to before. This was all Scott’s doing and he was being forced to lay in the bed he’d made. He just hadn’t realized it had been his own coffin._

_“That’s it, Scott. You can let go now,” Theo assured him, his voice cold and cruel. His grip around Scott’s throat tightened and the nails dug deeper…_

Scott awoke with a yell, bursting upright in bed as he gasped for breath. His body was covered in sweat and the sheets he had slept in were ripped up by his claws that didn’t seem to want to recede. It was a miracle that he hadn’t lost all control and let the wolf come out in full.

It took him a few moments to realize he wasn’t the only one awake either. Theo was watching him closely, lips a thin line and eyes narrowed. The impassiveness of the other’s features was already driving Scott crazy. “You were thrashing around in bed. I tried to wake you,” he explained casually. “Bad dream?”

“Obviously,” Scott grunted in response, looking away from the other as his alpha red eyes relaxed to their natural brown. He knew he was being rude but he didn’t care, at least not right now. His dream had felt so real, he could still remember how Theo’s hands had felt around his throat… He had been so convinced he was about to die.

“First day back at school today, huh?” Theo spoke up again, this time in a more sarcastic tone. _School_. God, he didn’t want to even think about what a bad idea it was taking Theo into school with him. It would have to happen eventually of course but this was just so soon. Instead of answering straight away Scott just rolled over in bed so his back was facing the other. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at Theo without remembering how happy he’d looked to have finally beaten him down and have Scott at his mercy.

“Not today,” he said softly, refusing to let himself go back to sleep.

It was a long night.

 

**Day 28**

“Scott, you can’t keep cutting class. You’re going to have to go into school soon,” his mom told him over dinner. Their mealtimes had been a lot quieter over the past month, both of them too aware that Theo was probably listening in from where he was chained up in Scott’s bedroom. Melissa hadn’t relaxed her stance concerning his presence in their home either but she wasn’t forcing him out which Scott was thankful for. At least she understood that Theo couldn’t just be let out in public again.

“I know,” he mumbled, avoiding her eye as he shoved food into his mouth. “I’ll go tomorrow.”

His mom let out a sigh and shook her head. “And Theo?”

“He’ll be with me all day,” Scott assured her, piling more food onto his fork.

“Okay,” she sighed, fixing her son with a serious expression, “I hope you know what you’re doing.” And then for good measure: “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Scott mumbled a “sorry” through his mouthful of pasta.

 

**Day 29**

Scott hated how even his dreams had turned against him now. As if it wasn’t bad enough that his own mother thought he was taking unnecessary risks and his friends were refusing to speak to him, he now couldn’t even rely on sleep for a bit of peace. No, the past few nights had forced him to endure a number of scenarios in which Theo ripped him apart or let him bleed out right there on his bed. Each time the boy would be awake by the time Scott finally pulled himself out of his nightmare, watching him as if it was the most interesting sight he’d ever seen. It made Scott uneasy and as a result he hadn’t let Theo out of his restraints in days.

He’d made a promise to his mother about going to school though and Scott really didn’t like breaking promises so he’d forced himself to remember that dreams were just pieces of his imagination and let Theo out of the chains. He paced his bedroom while Theo showered then threw a pair of clothes at him the moment he appeared again. Scott tried not to notice how Theo’s muscles stretched out his clothes ever so slightly. Why did that bother him so much?

“You seem a little jumpy today,” Theo commented as they made their way out of the door. Scott didn’t reply, he just handed Theo a helmet and climbed onto his bike. It was strange having a passenger riding with him, especially knowing it was _Theo_ holding onto his hips to keep him steady. He’d never expected to be this physically close with the other boy and honestly it was strange but Scott’s mind was so busy thinking about everything else that it wasn’t as much of an issue as he’d thought it would be.

No, the issues came the moment they reached school.

Naturally the first person to see them was Lydia. She didn’t dash away like Scott had expected her to, instead she marched right up to them and regarded Theo with the coldest glare he had seen her give a person. If looks could kill Theo would be lowered into grave then and there. “Scott, what is he doing here?” she asked, her voice thin as her angry gaze turned in Scott’s direction.

“I couldn’t keep him at home forever,” he offered in way of explanation, a weak smile on his face. He had a distinct feeling that Lydia’s anger was suddenly redirected towards him.

“You really are out of your mind, aren’t you?” she muttered under her breath. Scott wasn’t sure whether she expected an answer. “Just don’t let Stiles see him,” she hissed and that was it, she was gone as quickly as she’d arrived.

For a few moments neither of them said anything. Then, just when Theo looked like he was on the brink of making a sarcastic comment, Scott grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along. “Come on, let’s just get to class.”

The teacher was surprised to have Theo back in her class but the boy bluffed a story about being hospitalization so believably that Scott was pretty sure he won over half the class with it. Well, except Kira. She didn’t look angry like Lydia had, if anything she looked at Scott with such disappointment that he couldn’t bear to look her in the eyes as he and Theo took their places at a desk together.

The lesson passed without incident and once again Scott found himself surprised by just how much Theo actually knew. He hadn’t seemed like the type to enjoy education but it was something they could talk about without having to focus on the bad blood between them so Scott was thankful for that at least.

Mason and Corey spotted them between classes and stopped dead in their tracks. The younger chimera looked so terrified to see his alpha back in school that Scott thought he was about to pass out. Instead he just turned and pulled Mason away at breakneck speed. “He always was a little emotional, that one,” Theo offered, shrugging his shoulders. Scott just rolled his eyes and mentally wished that the day wasn’t really happening.

They managed to avoid Stiles, Liam and Malia until lunch break. He had no doubt that at least Liam knew about Theo’s return to school because Mason would never be able to keep that quiet but he hoped that news hadn’t quite reached Stiles’ ears yet. He made sure to stay away from the cafeteria and instead sat with Theo in the bleachers beside the lacrosse field. He thought they’d be safe there. He just hadn’t counted on the fact that Liam could track him down by scent. Scott didn’t even notice until the familiar scents were practically upon him and suddenly the rest of the pack were spilling out onto the lacrosse field. Scott felt Theo tense up beside him and grabbed him by the arm to stop him from making any sudden movements. “We should leave,” Theo muttered, his tone somewhere between agitated and actually worried.

“Scott, what the hell is this?” Stiles asked, his voice remarkably steady considering the anger that was no doubt bubbling under the surface.

Scott ushered Theo up and off the bleachers, doing his best to keep distance between him and the others. He knew he couldn’t even rely on Lydia to stop a scene from happening because she was every bit as angry as Stiles was. No, they were all against him here and he wasn’t sure how to calm all of them down at once. “Stiles, we’re leaving. Don’t make this a thing.”

“A _thing?_ ” Stiles repeated, his voice getting louder, “This is a thing whether you want to admit it or not. You brought a killer to our school. After _everything_ he did to us! To you!”

Scott wasn’t sure what to say because he knew they were right. It wasn’t even something that he knew deep down, it had been blatantly clear from the start and yet he wasn’t sure what other option he had. If he let Theo go then he was only going to come back and wreck even more havoc upon them. Wasn’t this so much safer for them all? “I’ve got it under control,” he promised the others. None of them looked convinced.

“Like hell you have,” Liam muttered, his eyes flashing yellow as he took a step forward. Scott felt his heart drop.

“Woah there, kiddo, you wanna chill out?” Theo called out from behind Scott, ruining every chance of a civil conversation with a single sentence said in a predictably smug tone. He really didn’t help himself, did he?

Before Scott could even react Liam was rushing past him, shifting into his wolf form and lunging at Theo. It was mere seconds before Scott was after him but he’d barely taken a step before he felt somebody grab him by the jacket. He turned to see Malia, stony expression on her face as she held on tightly to him. He only felt slightly bad about swiping her hand away and pushing her back with two simple moves.

Grabbing Liam by the back of his shirt, Scott dragged him off of Theo and threw him back. Much to his surprise the chimera hadn’t even started to shift but his shirt was torn up and he had a bloody scar down his cheek. Scott didn’t concern himself with Theo’s immediate wellbeing but he did plant himself between the downed chimera and the rest of the pack. “Don’t try that again,” he growled, suddenly aware of the fact his own claws were out.

Malia and Liam were at the forefront of the pack, clearly both ready for a fight but it wasn’t them who had Scott’s attention. It was Stiles. He was wearing a look of utter revulsion that Scott had never thought would be directed his way. It was reserved for people like Jackson or Peter or _Theo_ but never him. Until now.

“Allison would be disgusted if she saw you right now,” Stiles spat.

Scott saw red.

He wasn’t even sure what happened. One minute he was stood protecting Theo, the next he had Stiles pinned against the railing of the bleachers, the front of the other’s shirt bunched up in his fist. His eyes were red and he could feel himself losing control, slipping into his alpha form. “You don’t _ever_ get to use that against me,” he barked, relishing the fear on Stiles’ face…

And then he came to his senses and realized just who it was he had in his grasp. The shock was enough to send his claws back in and revert him straight back to his normal self. Neither of them said anything, they just stared at each other in confusion, silently asking how they reached this point. When Scott turned away he found that the rest of their expressions ranged from shock to anger. Lydia couldn’t even look at him.

Pushing past Liam, Scott fought back the tears in his eyes as he grabbed Theo and unceremoniously pulled him off the ground. “We’re leaving,” he grunted. Theo didn’t argue. In fact he didn’t say anything. Scott was glad to have the silence back.

 

**Day 33**

“Are we ever going back to school?” Theo asked, glancing up from the book he was reading. He’d remained in his chains from the moment they’d returned home from school days before. Scott had barely even spoken to him.

“Just shut up and read,” he sighed, turning his music up louder to drown out any further questions.

 

**Day 36**

“Scott, there’s somebody here who wants to talk to you.”

Truth be told, Scott was surprised that anybody other than Theo actually wanted to talk to him. His mother seemed to have heard about the incident at school and had only asked about it once which he’d quickly shut down. Since then conversation between them had been strained at best. Scott felt like he was going crazy. He couldn’t even talk to his own mother anymore!

Kira was waiting for him in the lounge and Scott was pretty sure his heart stopped beating for a moment when he saw her there. She was beautiful and he’d always known it but it was true than absence made the heart grow fonder and his whole body practically ached for her. “Hey,” he muttered, his throat suddenly feeling dry. What the hell was he supposed to say? She was his girlfriend for crying out loud and they hadn’t even spoken in over a month. Could he even call her his girlfriend anymore?

“I’ve got all the homework you’ve missed out on,” she mumbled, nudging the bag at her feet, “And, um, Theo’s work too.” She didn’t meet his eyes with that last part.

“Oh. Thanks.” Sitting down in the armchair opposite her, Scott found himself hyper aware of every movement he was making. Did his hands always twitch that much? Was he breathing too loudly? Should he be speaking? Yeah, it definitely felt like his turn to say something. “Are-- are you okay?”

It was hardly the most relevant question given the circumstances but it was the best his frazzled brain could come up with on the spot. The smile Kira gave him didn’t quite meet her eyes which remained sad as if she was meeting a ghost from her past rather than her boyfriend. “Honestly? No,” she confessed. Scott glanced down at the ground, already feeling the guilt he’d been sure was going to come with this talk. “I don’t understand why you saved him, Scott. I can’t. Theo’s… he’s not a good guy,” she continued, her voice almost pleading as if she was begging him to see reason.

“I know,” he agreed, sucking his cheeks in. He waited a moment, fully aware that the chimera upstairs was listening in to every little thing they said. There was no preventing that. “I can’t kill him though and I can’t let you guys do it either,” he added firmly, forcing her to meet her gaze.

They sat in silence for a few moments, neither of them knowing what to say.

“He’s going to hurt you, Scott. _Please_ ,” Kira tried again, her voice quiet and broken. There were tears in her eyes that Scott wanted to lean in and wipe away before they could reach her cheeks but he stopped himself. He couldn’t.

“He won’t,” Scott lied. “I’ll be fine.”

Kira didn’t look convinced. Scott couldn’t blame her. Instead she stood up and wrapped her arms around herself, as if to defend herself from him. He hated himself for making her feel like that was necessary. “I think we…” she started, her voice trailing off. Scott didn’t need her to finish. He knew.

“Yeah. I understand.”

He didn’t move as she leaned in to kiss him on the forehead. He tried not to think anything of it at all but the sudden sting in his eyes warned him that he was crying. He made sure he didn’t watch her leave. The moment he heard the door close though he curled into himself and let himself cry properly for the first time in over a month. He had fought back tears time and time again but there was nobody around now to see him fall apart so he let himself sob against his knees until he was exhausted.

Even after the confrontation at the lacrosse pitch he had lived with a small seed of hope that he could fix things with his friends but now? Well that now seemed more impossible than ever. He couldn’t even blame Theo for it. He could only blame himself. He was living a lonely hell of his own making and losing Kira was just another consequence on a long list.

Theo was asleep by the time he returned to his room an hour later, or at least he was pretending to be. Scott appreciated it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things have got to get worse before they get better right? Welp.


	3. Days 40 to 61

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack is up to something.

**Day 40**

“You really think going back to school’s the best idea?” Theo asked, voice dripping with sarcasm as he laced up his boots. Scott just scowled at him.

“My GPA has already dropped like a stone thanks to you. I’m not letting it drop any further,” he huffed in response. He couldn’t risk his grades falling too much further or he’d never get into UC Davis and right now that was the only thing he had going for him. He’d get the fresh start he desperately needed there. As for Theo… well, he’d decide what to do with that situation when he got there and the more time he took off school just so he could avoid any more incidents between Theo and the pack, the more it seemed unlikely that he was ever getting out of Beacon Hills.

Theo quirked an eyebrow in his direction. “Didn’t mean to be a burden on you. I’d be happy to go and let you have your life back.” The glare Scott shot in his direction shut Theo up but it didn’t break the unbearably smug grin on his face. Scott decided he was happy with that minor victory.

School passed by a lot smoothly this time around. Scott wasn’t sure his teachers quite believed his story about getting a bug off Theo but the fact he turned up with all of his homework complete definitely helped. He wanted to thank Kira for it but he knew it was too soon. She didn’t so much as look at him when she and Malia passed him in the corridor after their first class of the day. Malia, on the hand, wasn’t shy about letting him know how unhappy she was to see him back. He tried not to let it bother him.

Strangely Scott found himself dreading the lunch bell and half expected the pack to descend on him and Theo the moment they stepped out of class. No such thing happened and even though he caught sight of his friends sitting out at one of the picnic tables together, Scott made sure to take Theo off the school grounds so they weren’t disturbing anyone. He hated that it was a risk he felt the need to take but he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting one of his friends again. Nothing had been worth that.

Scott didn’t catch sight of Stiles until their last class of the day. He caught the way the boy paused as he entered the classroom and saw Scott and Theo at a desk together. Stiles’ jaw tightened and he pointedly looked elsewhere before taking a seat at the back of the room. They was no snide comment, no angry yelling, nothing. By the time the school bell rung and Stiles madly dashed out of the door, Scott felt himself relax for the first time all day.

 

**Day 43**

Things were tense at school still and there was no denying it but there hadn’t been any more fights so Scott supposed he should be thankful at that. Lydia even smiled at him after chemistry which he supposed was some sort of progress. Of course that smile had dropped away the moment she saw Theo trailing after him but it had been good while it lasted.

 

**Day 45**

“What’s up with the shrimp?” Theo asked almost as soon as they climbed off of Scott’s bike at the start of the day. The alpha frowned, following Theo’s gaze to spy Liam a few yards away. Scott wanted to elbow Theo in the ribs for the rather cruel nickname he’d assigned the beta but there was a far more pressing matter that distracted him.

Even though he was clearly doing his best to hide it by keeping his head down, there was a nasty bruise around the younger male’s eye that hadn’t quite healed up yet. If werewolf healing was factored in, Scott had to guess it was only a few hours old at best. What sort of fights had Liam been getting into in the middle of the night?

“Liam, what happened? Where did you get that--” Scott didn’t even get his full question out before the beta spun around and glared at him so intensely that Scott’s heart dropped like a stone.

“It’s none of your business,” Liam snapped, starting to turn away. Even though he immediately knew it was a bad idea, Scott reached out and grabbed him by the arm to stop him. Barely a second later and his hand had been pushed off and Liam closed the distance between them, eyes flashing bright yellow. “You’re not my Alpha anymore. I don’t owe you anything,” he spat before storming off. Scott didn’t even have the heart to call after him.

An awkward silence filled the air for a few seconds which was apparently too long for Theo. “You wanna go home and cry about it?” he asked sarcastically, delight written over his face. Scott barely registered the fact that he’d balled his hands into fists until he felt his nails digging against the skin.

“I swear to god I will rip out your voicebox. Shut up,” he growled.

Theo was unbearably sarcastic for the rest of the day. Scott fleetingly considered breaking his no-kill rule at lunch after Theo’s third consecutive round of providing a mocking frankly quite disturbing dialogue over an intimate moment between Mason and Corey from the other side of the cafeteria.

 

**Day 47**

Scott had been halfway through taking the pain from an injured fox when he heard Malia’s voice from elsewhere in the vet’s surgery. Malia’s _very unhappy_ voice yelling at a certain someone he’d left in the waiting room under the supervision of CCTV to keep him out of trouble.

“Oh no,” he muttered, meeting Deaton’s eye for a second before rushing out to the waiting room where sure enough he found Theo sat quite calmly on a chair while Malia looked ready to pounce and quite probably rip his arms off.  “Hey, hey! Cool it guys,” he warned, stepping between them. Apparently that didn’t help cool down Malia’s anger at all. It was only when Deaton appeared in the waiting room that she seemed to relax just a little although Scott could tell she was still on edge, as if she was expecting some sudden attack. She had to know Scott wouldn’t let that happen right?

Or was it _him_ she was worried would attack her? No, that was insane. Maybe he was at odds with his pack at the minute but they couldn’t actually think he’d turned on them, could he?

“What can I do for you, Malia?” Deaton asked, acting as if he was blissfully unaware of the tension in the room. Scott wished he could achieve that level of calm. It was actually pretty amazing to observe.

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead she looked from the veterinarian to Scott and then to Theo before shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter,” she huffed, beginning to retreat.

“Malia--” Scott started but it was too late. The door swung closed behind her, Theo whistling as she made her dramatic exit. Scott wasn’t paying attention to him though, he was starting to fit the puzzle pieces in his mind together. Deaton’s face was as unforgivingly passive as ever but Scott knew the man well enough by now to realize he was hiding _something_. “They’re up to something, aren’t they? The pack?” he asked, imploring his boss for the truth. Instead the man just relaxed his lips into a frown.

“I think that’s something you need to ask them. Now come on, we’ve got work to finish.” Scott wanted to ask more, he really did, but he knew not to push his luck. He didn’t look the type but Deaton had a fiery determination under the surface and he didn’t want to test that. “And I think it may be best if you come sit in the back with us,” the veterinarian said, this time addressing Theo. “Just in case we get any more visitors.”

Nobody else visited the veterinarian’s for the rest of Scott’s shift but that didn’t stop him from wondering exactly what it was that had brought Malia there in the first place and what did it have to do with Liam’s black eye?

 

**Day 48**

None of the pack showed up to school. No Stiles, no Lydia, nobody.

Scott spent the whole day worrying they were all dead. Nobody answered his calls but he expected that much. He had to fight the urge to check Stiles’ house or the police station to check whether the Sheriff or Deputy Parrish knew what was going on. That wouldn’t make things better if they wanted to keep him out of the loop and honestly Scott was scared of facing the Sheriff. He’d always been close to the man – looked at him like the father his own had never been – but he was scared to hear what the man might say to him given his current situation with Stiles.

Compared to all those days where he’d been shepherding Theo around the school to avoid any confrontations, this was definitely the most stressful school day in Scott’s recent memory.

 

**Day 49**

Scott cornered Lydia the first chance he got. It meant leaving Theo alone in the corridor but he felt assured that the chimera couldn’t get _too_ far away and he simply couldn’t stand being out of the loop anymore. His friends were up to something and it was dangerous. “What is going on? Why are you guys going to Deaton?” he asked, worry seeping into every word, “Where were you all yesterday?” God, he hated being out of the loop like this.

“Road trip,” Lydia replied dismissively in a tone that would have seemed natural from her four years ago when they’d been complete strangers. Scott knew her better than that now though. She was being cold on purpose.

“Lydia, _please_. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on,” he begged. No matter how his friends felt about him given the Theo situation, if they were in trouble then he should be there with them. He didn’t know what he would do with himself if one of them got hurt and he could have stopped it had he been there.

For a second Scott thought he might have gotten through to Lydia. Her tenseness seemed to fall away, the coldness in her eyes warming ever so slightly. “Maybe they don’t want your help,” she retorted, shrugging her shoulder and stepping away from him. She’d barely reached the door before Scott slammed his hand down against it to stop her.

“They?” he repeated, frowning at her, “So you don’t agree with them? You think they need my help?” God, this was a tangled web. What the hell had they gotten themselves into?

The points that he might have won back from Lydia seemed to have vanished when he’d blocked her from leaving. She narrowed her eyes at him and avoided the question with a curt, “Let me out, Scott.”

Knowing better than to test his luck, Scott pulled his hand off the door and let her open it. Just when he thought the conversation was over, she leaned back into the classroom and looked him straight in the eye. “You want to know what’s going on? Talk to Stiles. He’s the one with the answers,” she told him quite plainly before finally closing the door behind her. Scott felt himself deflate as he sighed. That had hardly been the conversation he’d wanted to have but at least he’d gained some sort of ground in his investigation.

It took him a few minutes to find Theo after he left the classroom. Much to his surprise he was talking to their history teacher about coursework. Anybody would be forgiven Theo was just an ordinary, if slightly unpopular, student. Not wanting to interrupt, Scott hid in the crowds and waited until the conversation was over. The moment Theo stepped away, Scott was by his side. “You get anything from Lydia?” Theo inquired. Scott just raised an eyebrow. “Right. You wouldn’t tell me even if you did. Got it.”

Much to Scott’s frustration, neither Stiles nor Liam seemed to be in school that day. He tried to force himself not to worry. If Lydia, Kira and Malia were there and all unharmed then things couldn’t be too bad… right?

 

**Day 50**

“Stiles, talk to me.”

“I don’t wanna.”

Scott was taking full advantage of Theo ending up in detention for quite blatantly insulting another classmate during a lesson (Scott had simply groaned and wished for the thousandth time that the chimera wasn’t his responsibility) to try and get Stiles to open up to him. Unfortunately he wasn’t making much progress and the other boy didn’t seem to want to even stop moving or look at him. Scott felt like he was chasing him around the whole school just to try and get a conversation out of him.

“This is serious!” he insisted, narrowly dodging a door that was all but thrown in his face. Stiles apparently wasn’t afraid to be petty like that.

“So is living with a psychopathic serial killing chimera but hey, you seem to be doing just fine with that!”

“Don’t be like that--”

Stiles finally stopped just shy of the library doors and spun around to fix Scott with a glare. It wasn’t filled with hate like the last time they’d locked eyes but it certainly didn’t make Scott feel comfortable with their relationship. They had been best friends for as long as he could remember and now he felt like he was nothing more than dirt on the bottom of Stiles’ boot.

“Like what? Concerned that my best… Look, you can make as many mistakes with Theo as you want. I don’t care. Just leave me alone. Leave the pack alone, okay? We’re doing just fine without you.”

Scott didn’t even chase after him as Stiles stormed into the library. The words stung but that was nothing new. By now he just took it on the chin. Instead of fuss over what he’d just been told or throw a tantrum, he just shook his head and let out a sigh.

“You know I can’t do that.”

 

**Day 52**

“You know why Stiles is so upset with you, right?” Mason asked in a hushed voice. They were in the library, hidden at one of the tables in the back of the room. It had been Mason’s suggestion to meet and Scott had been quick to agree and find something to distract Theo so he didn’t have to deal with him hanging around. Apparently that distraction was suggesting to coach that maybe Theo would be a good addition to the lacrosse team. There was no way Theo was getting out of coach’s office for at least another forty-five minutes.

“Yeah, because he wants Theo dead,” Scott replied without any hesitation. Wasn’t that the most obvious thing in the world?

Apparently not, judging from the look Mason gave him. It was as if he’d given the dumbest answer in the whole world. Scott just blinked. “There’s so much more to it than that!” the younger boy hissed, dramatically hiding his face behind a book. Scott felt pretty confident that nobody in the pack was there to spy on them but he couldn’t blame Mason for being worried about it. The boy was risking a lot by even talking to him. “He’s angry because you chose Theo over him!”

“I chose-- I never did that!” Scott protested, practically offended by the suggestion. In no alternate universe would he ever choose Theo over Stiles, let alone the world they lived in. He’d die before he saw the day. “I didn’t choose anything!” Well, that wasn’t exactly true. “Okay, so I chose to save Theo’s life but that had nothing to do with Stiles!” he added defensively. Even while defending himself he could start to see Mason’s point. Maybe from an outsider’s prospective that’s what it looked like after all, let alone from Stiles’ point of view.

Mason smiled sympathetically at him. “Look, I’m not saying that you _meant to_ but that’s not how Stiles is going to see it. I don’t even know him that well and it’s so obvious. He’s jealous!” Scott couldn’t help but snort. The idea of Stiles being jealous of Theo was pretty hilarious. Any person with a sane mind could see that Scott obviously valued Stiles more than Theo… right?

Before Scott could even think of anything to refute that ridiculous claim or even move onto any of his questions about the pack’s current activities, they were interrupted by the arrival of Corey. The chimera looked from Mason to Scott and back again, his eyes bulging ever so slightly. Mason seemed to panic, quickly pushing his chair out and jumping to his feet. “Mason, wait--” Scott started but it was too late, Mason had grabbed Corey by the arm and all but hauled him away.

“Okay, I guess we’ll talk later,” he sighed. Why was everybody insisting on making this so difficult for him?

 

**Day 55**

“Do you ever wonder why you can’t let people die?” Theo asked at around three in the morning when they were cramming for a History test the next day. The chimera looked genuinely curious and Scott decided that he didn't want to know why. The less he thought about how Theo's brain worked the more at peace he would be.

Scott just rolled his eyes and muttered a simple, “I’m starting to.” It would make his life so much simpler, that was for sure.

 

**Day 57**

Scott wasn’t exactly trying to listen in, it was just that his hearing was fine-tuned to pick up his friends’ voices and he just so happened to be in Stiles and Malia’s relative vicinity so yeah, he was going to hear a few things he wasn't meant to. That kind of stuff always happened!

“I tried, okay! Every time I go there Scott’s always working which means _he’s_ there,” Malia whispered bitterly. They were sat at a lunch table on the other side of the cafeteria, leaning in so nobody could hear their secretive discussion. They probably weren’t counting on an alpha wolf being able to listen in without having to be right next to them to hear every word they were saying.

“Maybe we should go now while they’re still at school. We need Deaton’s help on this,” Stiles murmured in response. Scott did his best not to watch them too closely but as Stiles glanced around suspiciously he ducked his head nonetheless.

“But you’ve got that pop quiz next lesson!” Malia pointed out innocently.

“A pop quiz? _Really?_ I think this is a little bit more serious than a goddamn--”

“Scott?”

Kira’s voice broke through the air immediately around Scott, pulling him straight out of his focus and losing track of Stiles and Malia’s conversation. He wanted to be angry but when he saw Kira looking at him somewhat nervously while holding a sweater that he instantly recognized to be one of his own the anger quickly died down to be replaced by guilt. In the weeks since Kira had broken up with him he’d done his best not to think about it but every time they passed each other in the hallways his heart sped up a little bit and his throat went dry. It was like his body just couldn’t function near her anymore, like the guilt was overwhelming him to the point of being totally incapable.

Once again Scott found the words trapped in his throat. He smiled weakly and finally managed to croak out a weak, “Kira, hey!” Honestly he was just thankful Theo wasn’t around to see this.

“You, uh, you left one of your sweaters at mine. I thought I should… I thought you might want it back,” she said meekly, offering it out to him. Without thinking he reached out to accept it and their fingers brushed together for a brief moment as a consequence. Static shot up Scott’s fingers and he jerked back, eyes opening wide. “I’m sorry, that was my fault. I’m just-- Don’t worry about it,” she mumbled, looking down.

There was no way Scott was going to stop worrying about it though. Just because they weren’t together anymore didn’t mean he was going to stop caring, that just wasn’t the kind of person that he was. “Are you okay?” he asked, nervously wondering whether she was being affected by whatever the pack was doing. He’d already seen its effects on Liam and he hated the thought of seeing any of his friends hurt further.

“I’m fine, Scott. Just… there’s your sweater,” she assured him, not quite meeting his eyes as she dropped the sweater into his lap and made a dash out of the cafeteria. Scott watched her leave, cradling the sweater in his arms and trying not to think about how it still smelled like her. He hadn’t realized quite how badly he’d missed her until that scent reached his nose and for a moment he felt like he was going to lose all composure and start crying again.

Luckily glancing over to Stiles and Malia’s table snapped him right out of that. In the space of his short conversation with Kira, they had left. Scott had to fight the urge to follow them. _It’s not your place, remember?_ It was harder sticking by that rule than he’d ever considered it would be. Somebody was going to get hurt soon, he just knew it.

 

**Day 60**

A scream broke through the silent Beacon Hills night.

Scott didn’t hesitate. “Lydia,” he growled, horror spreading throughout her body. What had caused her to sound so terrified? There was no way he could sit back and ignore it. He was on his feet in seconds, ripping the lock off of his bedroom window and forcing it open. Much to his surprise, Theo was on his feet already. “Hurry,” he muttered to the other before climbing out of the window and leaping into the night.

It didn’t take long to track her down. He had memorized her scent just as he had with the rest of his pack and it led him to a few neighborhoods away, barely even a few minutes from his own. The moment he turned the corner though, Scott felt his heart drop.

Stiles’ jeep was completely overturned, smoke rising from it. Stiles was still in the driver’s seat, eyes closed and unresponsive. Scott felt his world starting to rip itself apart. _No, he’s not dead. He can’t be dead, he’s not!_ He didn’t have time to dwell on that though, not when Lydia was being held high up into the air with one hand by a tall masked figure. He was a giant cloaked in robes of black and deep purple robes, nearly seven feet tall if Scott was to guess and right now he had the life of one of Scott’s best friends in his hands. That wasn’t going to end well for him.

Scott wasn’t sure when he’d shifted into his alpha form but as he lowered himself into a starting position to charge and let out a howl that practically shook the ground, he felt like he could take on an army. Nobody attempted to kill his friends and got away with it.

His howl attracted the attention of the masked giant, giving Scott a view of the ornate decoration of his mask. Right now he wasn’t paying any attention to that, he was too busy rushing the giant and grappling him around the waist. Lydia was all but flung across the air as Scott collided with the giant but right now he wasn’t thinking about that. He was too focused on his desire to tear this man apart, limb from limb.

Except the moment they hit the ground, Scott was suddenly blasted back. He wasn’t sure how it had happened considering the figure had never even landed a punch on him but he felt like he’d been hit directly in his gut by a truck.

“Scott!” Theo raced forward, claws ready for attack but before he could even engage the figure he was blown off his feet in similar fashion. Scott watched in horror as Theo’s body collided with the side of the jeep and crumpled to the ground.

Pushing himself back to his feet, Scott readied himself to charge again. Whoever this guy was, he wasn’t making it out of here alive. His next attack was halted when a voice came from the mask, both deep and high-pitched as if it were multiple voices speaking as one. “An alpha? This _is_ an exciting town.” A shiver ran down Scott’s spine, the unsettling voice burying itself in his mind. Why did it bother him so much?

Not giving himself any time to give into fear, Scott charged again and leapt straight for the figure at the last minute. He wasn’t blasted away. No, this time the figure grabbed his arm with lightning speed and twisted it. Scott felt the bones snap and howled in agony as he dropped to the ground. His arm felt like it was on fire but he knew he couldn’t give up, not while his friends were in danger. He’d barely begun to push himself back up with his good arm before he felt a foot collide with his face, pushing him straight back down and busting his lip open.

“I was always told alphas were to be feared. You… you are disappointing,” the voice hissed as the figure crouched down beside him, revealing a skeletal hand glowing with a blue energy. Scott tried his best to struggle away from it but it felt like his body was frozen, not with fear but by some outside interference. He wanted to scream or howl or even spit in the other’s face but he couldn’t do anything, he was paralyzed.

The hand was bare inches from his stomach, the warm crackling energy practically burning against his skin, when blood splattered across Scott’s face and the figure screamed, immediately recoiling. Scott stared up at his savior, barely seeing through the tears in his eyes to recognize Liam, wolfed-out with bloodied claws.

The ability to move seemed to have returned to Scott’s body and even though his arm felt like it was on fire, he pushed himself up to his feet. Liam and Malia circled the figure who was now crouched other, breathing heavily. “You can’t fight him, guys,” Scott warned. They didn’t respond.

“Scott, we need to go!” Theo’s voice called out. He glanced over to see the chimera cradling Stiles’ body in his arms. Lydia was behind him, a long bloody cut down the side of her face but looking relatively unharmed in comparison. Scott waved them away.

“Liam, Malia, please!” Scott begged, just as the figure burst upwards, hand outstretched. Liam was blasted off his feet, barrelling into Scott and knocking them both to the ground. Scott felt pain fare up his broken arm again and howled uncontrollably before he bit down on his already bloody lower lip to silence himself.

Malia lunged for the figure, teeth bared, but was caught off guard as he swept her feet out from underneath her with a smooth kick. There was a dull crack as the back of her head impacted with the ground.

Much to Scott’s surprise and relief, the figure didn’t stick around to finish her off. He stumbled away, the wound Liam had given him clearly still hurting. Scott could have sworn that the figure was engulfed by smoke as he disappeared into the night.

 

**Day 61**

It was midnight by the time the time they made it to the hospital in one piece. The paramedics had fussed over them all but Scott wasn’t concerned about his own broken arm or his battered face. They would heal without any medication the paramedics could provide him with, the same with Liam and Theo’s injuries. No, he was more concerned about Stiles. He was alive but unresponsive and Scott felt like every fibre of his being was screaming out in fear of losing his best friend. They’d barely spoken in over a month, he couldn’t let Stiles die thinking that their friendship was over.

“What the hell happened?!” his mother asked as they rushed into the emergency room. Scott didn’t have any answers for her but he felt his heart swell with love as she immediately checked Stiles over and called in several doctors to help. They didn’t badger Scott to leave, he just stayed silent in the back of the room and watched. He wasn’t sure where the others were gone but right now none of them mattered. He needed Stiles to be okay.

After what felt like a lifetime, his mother crouched down in front of him and took his hands in her own. “Stiles is going to be fine, honey. There’s no major injuries, no internal bleeding, nothing. The most he’s coming away with is a sprained wrist and a couple of nasty cuts,” she assured him. Scott felt his whole body relax as he let out the breath he hadn’t even known he was holding. “Do you want to go check on the others?” He just nodded and let her lead him away.

They found Malia in a bed not too far away, surrounded by Lydia and Kira. Scott noticed the tears in his ex-girlfriend’s eyes and immediately moved to embrace her. She welcomed it, her head resting against his chest as she curled into his side. Scott winced in pain as she brushed up against his arm but he didn’t say anything. He let his mother work in silence until she assured them that Malia was fine and would heal up pretty quickly. She turned to the rest of them, asking if any of them needed seeing to. Her eyes fell to the red marks around Lydia’s neck but the younger girl just shook her head.

Scott wasn’t sure how it had happened but they’d all gotten away pretty luckily. It could have easily not been the case though.

Making their way out to the waiting room, they found Theo and Liam sat in complete silence several seats away from each other. The moment they appeared Theo rose to his feet. Scott was so tired and sore that he didn’t want to question whether the concern on the other boy’s face was just an act or sincere. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Scott mumbled in response. He didn’t even question it as he all but fell into the other’s awaiting arms, letting Theo embrace him for a moment. Nobody spoke for a few moments and when Scott pulled away he discovered that they were all looking at him in confusion. Only Liam seemed angry but that was hardly a surprise given his recent attitude.

Mustering up all of the courage and determination that he’d thought had been beaten out of him, Scott pulled further away from Theo and looked at the others with a serious expression.

“I need you guys to tell me what’s going on. The full story. _Now_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not even sure what happened in this chapter. My mood was all over the place while writing it so it may require me going back and re-reading in a week or so with a clear head but I feel like I got all the points down that I wanted to. Hopefully it reads okay for now though! I didn't want to keep you guys waiting too long for the next chapter.


	4. Days 61 to 82

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott starts to make amends with the pack.

**Day 61**

“A mage?” Scott repeated, unable to hide the frown from his face. It was hardly the explanation he’d been expecting. “Like a _wizard_?” It sounded ridiculous but judging from what he’d seen of their enemy that night… well it didn’t sound too impossible. There certainly had to be some magical reason behind his impossible strength and he certainly hadn’t smelt like a wolf. That mystical glow around his hand had certainly gotten Scott unsettled too. Just what would have happened if it had made contact with him?

“For lack of a better word, yes,” Lydia huffed. “We know he’s got some sort of _power_ , we just don’t know what.”

“Deaton’s looking into it now. We’ve not exactly been able to give him a great description before now,” Malia added. She sighed, throwing herself down in the chair next to Liam.

Scott paused to consider what he was being told. There was some sort of magical being in Beacon Hills and for some reason he was targeting the pack. “Why’s he after you guys?”

“We don’t know,” Lydia sighed.

“He, uh, he’s seems fixated on Lydia. On her Banshee part,” Kira offered, glancing shyly between Lydia and Scott. “I mean, we’ve all fought him but he’s only ever gone after Lydia before…”

Much to Scott’s surprise, it was Theo who spoke up next. “He knew you were an Alpha too,” he pointed out.

“Probably because of the _red eyes_ ,” Liam hissed from beside him. Malia snorted a laugh. Scott had to stop himself from glaring at them and telling them off for not helping matters. He couldn’t though, not while things were still fragile between them. It was a miracle the chimera hadn’t been outright scolded for offering his opinion to the conversation.

“Has he gone after anyone before you guys?” Theo asked, pointedly ignoring Liam. None of the rest of the pack seemed to want his eyes apart from Lydia.

“An Omega,” she explained. “There was an omega in town a few weeks back. He’d been told by an Alpha to kill a Beta, it was the only condition to join the pack.” The news made Scott’s blood run cold. So that was why Liam had come into school covered in bruises that day. “The… _mage_ killed the omega before he could kill Liam. Then I guess he saw the rest of us and switched targets.”

“So if he killed an Omega and now he’s after a Banshee… is he starting a collection or something?” Theo suggested. For a few seconds, nobody spoke. Scott considered the possibility. Killing one of each type of supernatural being, it seemed like a reasonable mission statement for a possible psychotic wizard, right?

Before they could reconsider it further, Melissa appeared back in the waiting room. “You guys should take off. We’ll be letting Stiles out in the morning but you all need some rest. Stay together, feel free to use my bed just… don’t go anywhere without each other, okay?” she warned them, pulling each member of the pack into a hug as she spoke. She noticeably stopped short of Theo who merely pretended like the nearby vending machine was the most exciting thing he’d ever seen in his life. Instead she turned to Scott and took his hands in her own. “Get home safe, okay?”

“I promise.”

School had pretty much been a write-off that day. They were all too exhausted and still recovering from their injuries. Melissa had arrived back at the house with Stiles in the early hours of the morning to find Scott in the kitchen making enough breakfast for everyone. The moment he saw Stiles though, he dropped everything and pulled his best friend into a hug. Much to his relief, Stiles didn’t pull away.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he mumbled into Stiles’ neck.

“I’m glad you are too,” Stiles agreed. When Scott pulled away he was pretty sure he had tears in his eyes so he quickly wiped them away and returned to frying the bacon. “Where’s everyone else?”

Scott nodded his head upwards. “The girls are in mom’s bed, Theo and Liam are in my room.” Stiles raised an eyebrow, as if asking if that was such a good idea. Truth be told it probably wasn’t and Scott had hesitated before leaving them alone. He was just counting on Liam being able to hold his anger together and Theo not provoking him. “Theo’s chained up,” he explained, hoping it would help matters. Stiles looked momentarily satisfied.

One by one the pack joined them in the kitchen, all but Theo. Nobody asked about him until Scott declared that he was going to let Theo out so he could have some breakfast. Things very quickly fell silent right after that and Scott paused on his way to the doorway. “Guys, _please_. Not today. Let the guy have breakfast,” he sighed, begging for a little bit of peace for once.

For a few moments, nobody replied. Scott steeled himself for another unwanted argument but it never came. “Get him,” Kira said, shocking them all. Scott met her eyes and nodded before disappearing up the stairs.

Theo watched him closely while he undid the chains. Scott wished it didn’t bother him as much as it did. “What?” he grunted finally, forcing himself to look anywhere but at the chimera.

“Do you really think this is going to work? The temporary peace with the pack?” Theo asked, keeping his voice quiet in case anybody was listening in. Scott had no doubt that both Liam and Malia probably were.

“I do,” he replied resolutely, grabbing Theo and lifting him to his feet.

By the time they made it back down to the kitchen the rest of the pack were helping himself to the breakfast Scott had prepared. He felt a beaming smile come to his face as he enjoyed the relatively peaceful scene, even though most of them were still covered in bruises and cuts from the night before.

“We should go see Deaton today, see if he’s got anything else for else,” Scott declared, grabbing a plate for himself. He was silently quite proud of the fact nobody had complained about the food so far.

“Lydia and I are gonna hit the books,” Stiles offered. “Maybe Malia should go with you to visit Deaton.” His eyes cast towards Theo for a moment but he fell short of actually saying anything. Scott wasn’t sure whether he was glad the peace was maintained for a moment longer or annoyed on Theo’s behalf. Hadn’t he proven the night before that he wanted to help them? He’d certainly tried to back Scott up and he’d carried Stiles to safety too. As far as Scott was concerned, that earned Theo points.

“I’ll help you guys with the research,” Liam grunted, nodding at Stiles and Lydia. Stiles blinked in surprise before shrugging. “I’ll grab Mason and Corey, get them involved on this too.”

“Reach out to Brett too. See if Satomi knows anything about this guy,” Scott suggested. Liam didn’t even glance his way, he just nodded. The Alpha smiled weakly and pretended like that didn’t hurt him as much as it did.

 

**Day 64**

Deaton had been missing from Beacon Hills for days and Scott was starting to get worried. There was no note at the veterinary clinic, nor was he answering any calls. Scott couldn’t pick up his scent anywhere in the town. He was beginning to get worried. Had the mage gotten to him? What could he possibly want with a druid?

Needless to say, the research wasn’t going much better. Stiles and Lydia hadn’t been able to find anything about any mage or wizard in the Argent bestiary or any of the other mystical tomes they had picked up over the years. Predictably Liam had tired of research pretty quickly and had joined Scott in trying to find Deaton but Mason and Corey were still happy to help, glad to feel useful to the pack for once.

Brett had offered apologies when he explained that Satomi had no knowledge of the creature they faced. Scott wasn’t sure how truthful the message was because he was sure that an Alpha that old and wise had to have experience of creatures like this but he chose to believe it and thanked Brett for passing the message along anyway.

Kira’s mother wasn’t having much luck helping them either. She declared that the monster they had faced sounded similar based on their descriptions but she wasn’t totally sure what it was at that moment and couldn’t provide them with more answers until she had encountered it herself. Scott silently hoped that wouldn’t happen. He wanted to keep Kira safe and that meant her family too.

Everybody had been on edge at school over the past few days, all expecting an attack at any moment. Scott couldn’t let himself relax or even focus on his school work, not when he was terrified that any moment Lydia may have her throat torn out or Stiles would be broken in two. Who knew what power this guy had? He’d taken down pretty much the whole pack quite easily and it had only been because he was distracted that Liam got a lucky blow on him.

“He must be resting up. Conserving his energy,” Theo suggested over the lunch table. They were sat with Lydia and Mason while the rest of the pack were a few tables away. Scott didn’t make a point of saying it but he was glad for their company. It was nice not to feel so excluded anymore, even if it did take the arrival of a new evil to do so.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t conserve too much,” Lydia muttered. Scott hummed in agreement. If the mage got any more powerful… well, they were screwed, weren’t they?

 

**Day 68**

The moment Scott received a text message from Deaton asking him to meet at the clinic, he had forwarded the message to the rest of the pack and all but jumped out of his seat in class. “And where do you think you’re going, McCall?” Coach demanded. Scott smiled sheepishly.

“Food poisoning?” he suggested quickly, starting to fake like he was about to throw up all over Coach. Unsurprisingly the man was repulsed and quickly waved him out.

“If anybody else is about to throw up, leave now!” Coach demanded, turning his back on the class to scribble on the board.

Stiles, Theo and Lydia all rushed out while they could.

They reached the veterinary clinic barely ten minutes later and found the others already waiting for them. Theo trailed at the back of the pack and nobody but Liam seemed to pay him any mind.

Deaton was tending to the hamsters when the pack marched in and Scott felt his stomach drop when he saw the cuts decorating his boss’ face. “What happened?” he asked before he could stop himself. The older man smiled at him as kindly as ever.

“Nice to see you’re all working together again,” he remarked. Scott could swear that Deaton’s gaze fell on Theo for a moment longer than everybody else but he chose not to question it. There were more important things at hand. “I’ve discovered the identity of your new foe but like all information, it came at a cost,” he offered, waving to the cuts on his face before leading them to a desk where piles of paper were stacked up. “He’s part of a group that call themselves the Anarchists.”

“Great name,” Stiles muttered sarcastically. Scott could swear he saw the corners of Deaton’s lips flick up into the smallest of smiles.

“The Anarchists are a group of rogue druids who turned to a very dark path in order to gain more power for themselves. They can steal the power of another supernatural creature by taking their heart,” he explained. Liam wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Your Anarchist… it’s impossible to say how much power he has already. We know he has an Omega’s heart in his position…”

“And he’s after a Banshee’s,” Malia pointed out before wrapping an arm around Lydia’s shoulders. “Not that we’re going to let that happen.” The redhead smiled appreciatively at her.

“And possibly an Alpha’s too,” Theo pitched in. Deaton looked at Scott closely and the boy just shrugged. The Anarchist had certainly seemed interested in his Alpha status and that glowing hand… well, it made sense. He wanted Scott’s heart.

Deaton grabbed the papers and started to hand them out to each of them. “This is everything I’ve managed to get on the Anarchists so far. It’s not much I’m afraid. These are the type of creatures who don’t want to be found and if you go looking… well, you make some powerful enemies,” he warned. Scott couldn’t help but wonder exactly how he’d gotten those injuries. Had he faced an Anarchist by himself?

“Does it say how we kill them?” Kira asked hopefully. All eyes were on Deaton for his answer. Instead, he just fixed them all with a grave expression. Scott found dread creeping in as he waited for the inevitable answer.

“I’m afraid, as of right now, I’m not aware of any way to kill an Anarchist.”

 

**Day 75**

Scott was beginning to get agitated. It had been two whole weeks since the Anarchist’s last appearance and they’d heard or seen nothing of him. No ambushes, no threats, nothing. The calm was putting him on edge. It wasn’t like he was begging for an attack at any minute, he was just nervous that they would get too relaxed and be left vulnerable when he returned.

Where was he, anyway? The logical answer was that he was off gathering more power and that didn’t seem good at all. They’d barely survived their first fight with him, how were they going to deal with him being even more powerful than before?

“Scott,” Lydia started, a serious tone to her voice. He was sat with Stiles and Lydia in his lounge, desperately researching Anarchists late into the night in the hopes that maybe they could find some ancient stories that gave them clues on how to kill one. “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly _are_ you doing about Theo?” she asked carefully. Stiles tensed up slightly beside her and glanced at Scott, waiting for his reply.

The chimera in question was currently asleep upstairs. Scott hadn’t felt it necessary to chain him up but he hadn’t shared that information with his friends because he already knew what they’d say about it. “Deaton bound him to me,” he mumbled in explanation, grabbing another book and opening it at a random page.

“ _Bound_ him to-- what the hell does that mean?” Stiles asked sharply. Lydia placed a hand on his leg, silently reminding him to watch his tone.

“It’s like a druid spell or something. He can’t get more than fifty feet from me. We figured it was a good way to make sure I always had an eye on him.” Scott made a point to avoid his friends’ eyes as he explained it, fearing what he would see there and quite rightly too. Stiles’ nostrils had flared at his explanation and Lydia looked troubled.

“So what, you’re just going to keep him by your side for the rest of your lives?” Stiles pressed further. Scott just shrugged. He hadn’t actually thought that far ahead. He knew it wasn’t a permanent solution of course but it seemed to be working quite well. To his knowledge Theo hadn’t double-crossed, murdered or even hurt anyone in over two months. “Scott, this is _serious!_ He’s just biding his time, he’s plotting something. He’s going to take advantage of this Anarchist situation, we all know it.”

Scott finally glanced up to meet his best friend’s eyes. Clearly Stiles wasn’t backing down on the matter any time soon. “I don’t believe that,” he replied firmly. “He saved my life, Stiles. He saved _yours_. I owe him some trust.”

Stiles just snorted in disbelief and opened his mouth to retort when a knock on the living room wall snapped them out of the heated discussion. Scott glanced over to see Theo stood there, smiling meekly. “Couldn’t sleep,” he explained, flopping down onto the sofa next to Scott. “Anything I can do to help?”

Scott was immensely proud of Lydia for managing to pass a book to Theo without glaring or making a sarcastic comment. It gave him hope that maybe, just _maybe_ , he’d be able to get the pack to start seeing things his way.

It was still a long shot though. Luckily the impossible wasn’t too uncommon in Beacon Hills.

 

**Day 77**

“Is there… is there more about this bound I need to know?” Scott asked, surprising even himself. He was taking the pain from a small puppy with a broken leg that Deaton was patching up when the question burst out of him without warning.

“Do you have reason to believe as such?” the veterinarian asked, glancing up from the canine and frowning ever so slightly. It was a pointedly non-committal answer and Scott found himself surprisingly annoyed by it. Why were things never simple with Deaton?

Scott paused for a moment to think about it. The thought had certainly occurred to him. Was he being overly sympathetic towards Theo because of the bond that connected them or was it just because of who he was? Scott had always liked to believe the best in people but he’d felt so close to Theo since Deaton had bound them together that he was beginning to wonder if there was something more to it. “I don’t know. I just… I want to believe I can trust Theo,” he confessed. “I just don’t want the bond or whatever to be influencing that.”

Deaton watched him for a second before nodding. “The binding won’t do anything like that,” he assured him. “You may find yourself being able to read Theo’s emotions more, perhaps even the stray thought the longer the binding lasts but no, he won’t be able to sway your feelings. If you feel like you’re beginning to trust Theo then that’s your own mind’s decision.”

Feeling reassured, Scott matched his boss’ kindly smile and returned to work with his worries put at rest for the time being at least.

 

**Day 82**

Just as Scott had feared, the Anarchist returned when they were all starting to feel relaxed. It wasn’t that they had expected to be gone for good, they had just forgotten how imminent the threat was and had dared to almost be laidback about the threat while he was still underground. They spent less time researching and more time focusing on their school work. That was obviously important too because none of them were going to make it out of Beacon Hills if they didn’t take their studying seriously but when compared to the threat of death it paled in importance.

Unfortunately that was a lesson Scott had pushed to the back of his mind until it was too late and he was bloodied and bruised in the middle of the street. He and Theo had been out for a late night ride on Scott’s bike when the Anarchist had sprung upon them, flinging them from the vehicle and sending them rolling across the street away from each other.

Scott barely had time to register what was happening before he felt the Anarchist’s foot collide with the front of his face, shattering his nose and causing the back of his head to smack against the ground. He was stunned, the world spinning around him but much to his surprise he didn’t feel the burning warmth of the Anarchist’s hand against his chest. Instead he could ever so slightly make out the retreating form of the villain through his hazy vision.

“This really is quite interesting,” that horribly screeching voice remarked. Scott prayed for his sight to return properly, to regain the strength that had been temporarily stripped from him by the sudden attack but it couldn’t happen quite happiness. “A chimera bound to an Alpha. I think I’d like to know why.” As if the attack hadn’t been enough, Scott’s blood ran cold. How could he possibly know that?

Struggling to push himself up, Scott felt his heart drop when he saw the Anarchist grab Theo by his shirt and pull him up. A nasty cut ran down the side of Theo’s face from the impact of their crash and his arm was bent in a painfully unnatural direction but still he struggled against the Anarchist. It only brought a chilling laugh out of the giant figure. Scott started to charge but he’d no soon as gotten within a few feet of them before he was flung off of his feet again and landed halfway down the street.

As the Anarchist gripped Theo’s hand, Scott felt a familiar burning sensation in his own. _The binding_ , he realized in horror. “No, no, Theo!” he gasped, hurrying back to his feet. Within seconds the pain became so intense and overwhelming that he couldn’t help but howl. His body felt like it was being totally drained of its strength and he collapsed back down onto his knees even as he struggled to fight back. By the time the pain ended he was all but slumped over, cradling his hand to his chest.

“Scott! _Scott!_ ” Theo’s terrified screams were the last thing Scott heard before he doubled over completely and let the darkness consume him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN


	5. Days 89 to 92

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack hunts for Theo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long! I've had a bit of writer's block and ended up falling into the Sterek tag and I've basically been distracted by reading and working for the last month. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it!

_Theo’s fingers traced slowly down Scott’s chest and the Alpha supposed he should be more bothered by that than he actually was. To tell the truth, it felt kind of incredible. Theo’s touch was so warm and being huddled next to the other boy’s body made Scott feel so needed. It was a long time since he’d felt anything like that. It was nice._

_“We shouldn’t be here,” he sighed without even realizing. The moment the words left his lips through he knew he was speaking the truth. They had things that they needed to be doing. Important things._

_“I know,” Theo agreed, shuffling closer until their bodies were pressed together. The bed was so comfortable and inviting that Scott wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to make himself move. “I just want to enjoy being with you for a few moments longer,” the chimera whispered, his lips dangerously close to Scott’s own._

_The Alpha couldn’t take it anymore. Without hesitating, he moved forward and pressed their lips together --_

 

**Day 89**

“Guys, he’s waking up!”

 _Kira_. The world was still dark to Scott but he could make out his ex-girlfriend’s voice through the ringing in his ears. It took a few more moments for excruciating pain to settle in and he hissed sharply as the pain spread through his body. It felt like he was on fire and it didn’t go away, at least not immediately.

Finally forcing his eyes open, he made out three blurry shapes above him and even in his confusion he knew that Stiles was beside Kira and the strawberry blonde hair of the other meant that it was Lydia. His friends.

“Scott, thank god,” he heard Stiles say. The words sounded distant and muffled but Scott was just glad to hear his best friend’s voice again. It felt like it had been forever… “You had me worried there, bro.”

As the world started to become sharper and the ringing in his airs settled down to a low whine, Scott grit his teeth together and forced himself up into a seated position. He recognized his room immediately and instinctively glanced over at the radiator. The chains were empty, as was the make-shift bed next to it. _Theo_. Suddenly the memories of what had happened before he’d passed out started to rush back to him.

“What… Theo… How?” he gasped, his throat coarse and fighting back against his words. Kira looked at him sympathetically and rest a hand over his own.

“We’ve been looking, don’t worry. We’ll find him,” he assured him. It didn’t help settle Scott’s anxiety at all. He could already tell there was something they weren’t telling him thanks to the guilty expression on Lydia’s face. She was a good actress - she’d fooled everybody into thinking she was just a vapid bimbo after all - but she couldn’t hide secrets from Scott. It was like she felt the need to be open with him and he respected that. He wanted them to be on the same page.

Looking between his friends, Scott frowned. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Scott, bro,” Stiles started, sitting down on the bed next to him. “You’ve been out for a few days now--”

“How many?” he interrupted.

“Seven.”

Scott all but threw himself up from the bed, only his body didn’t seem too pleased to be thrown into action so suddenly and he doubled over, falling back on top of his sheets. “Hey, hey, you need to rest,” Lydia insisted. “Kira’s right, we’re looking for Theo. We’re doing everything we can, Scott.” A quick read of her heartbeat told him that she was telling the truth but that didn’t make him feel any easier. Theo had been taken by the Anarchist a whole week ago and they still hadn’t found him? He was probably dead already.

The thought made Scott’s stomach turn. It hurt him a lot more than he’d expected it to.

“You’ve been in and out for days, man. This is the longest we’ve had you awake,” Stiles explained, his face creased in worry. “Deaton said something about the connection between you and Theo being forcibly broken and… I dunno man, it’s not good.”

“We need to find Theo,” Scott growled. Stiles just nodded and took his hand in his own.

“I know, bro. We’re doing our best. Liam and Brett are out there right now.”

Scott tried his hardest to push himself back up but his body didn’t seem to want to respond without sending a sharp pain shooting down his best and he collapsed back against the pillows. “I should be out there with them,” he argued weakly.

“You need to rest,” Lydia repeated. The others just nodded.

Scott miserably resigned himself to spending the rest of his day in bed.

 

**Day 90**

“The binding is supposed to be _released_ rather than broken. It requires permission from both parties and the caster. What the Anarchist did to you… it would be like having a limb ripped from you,” Deaton explained gravely. The pack were gathered around the room while Scott’s mother and Stiles stood guard either side of the bed. They hadn’t stopped fussing over him ever since he’d woken up the day before and while he appreciated it, he was beginning to feel overwhelmed.

“Yeah, I’m getting that much,” Scott huffed miserably. Deaton smiled sympathetically.

Beside him, Stiles cleared his throat. “So is Scott gonna be in pain for long? Or like… forever?” he asked, earning a swift slap to his arm from Lydia. Melissa fired a glare at the boy for good measure too.

“Truth be told, I’m not entirely certain. He’ll certainly feel the effects for a while yet. My suggestion would be to re-connect him with Theo. It would be the fastest way of returning Scott to full strength,” Deaton replied, causing Scott’s heart to sink yet again.

“We don’t _have_ Theo,” he pointed out.

“We will,” Malia protested sharply. “We’ll find him.” She was perched near the window next to Liam and Brett, visibly tired after a long night searching the town for their missing chimera. The taller werewolf nodded in agreement. Liam predictably avoided Scott’s eye but he was used to that by now. Apparently his beta had a lot of issues with what had gone down than he was willing to discuss. Scott didn’t exactly have the time to push the topic any further though.

For once the pack seemed to be on the same page about something again. Maybe they didn’t want to find Theo for the same reasons Scott did but he wasn’t about to argue. He just needed to believe that he wasn’t dead.

 

**Day 92**

“This is taking too long,” Scott decided after he’d received a message off Malia apologizing for another unsuccessful search and explaining that both she and the boys desperately needed sleep. Scott couldn’t blame her but he was still angry. The longer Theo was missing the more anxious he got because it became harder to believe that the chimera was alive or if he was, that he would be the same person as before. Scott had believed that he was starting to make progress with the other boy and now that would be all for nothing.

“They’re doing everything they can,” Stiles huffed from where he was seated at Scott’s desk, the Argent bestiary on his lap as he desperately searched for any new information on druids. It was a useless search and they both knew it but it didn’t stop Stiles from trying his best.

It was all well and good being told that his friends were trying their best but Scott wasn’t the type to sit idly by while others did the work. Steeling himself for the inevitable pain, he pushed himself up off the bed and gingerly rose to his feet. Stiles balked at the sight. “Hey! You’re supposed to be resting!” he snapped, getting up from his chair and letting the bestiary drop to the floor.

Scott held his hand out to stop Stiles before his best friend could push him back down to the bed. He wasn’t going to let everybody else do the work, not anymore. His body was still crying out in protest but he had to do _something_. “Just get me down to the jeep, okay?” he growled, ignoring the concerned frown on Stiles’ face. “I can find Theo, I know it but I can’t do it from this bed.”

Stiles looked uneasy for a few moments before he nodded and draped Scott’s arm around his shoulder. “I’m calling Kira though. We need somebody who can save our asses if we get into trouble,” Stiles hissed, earning a short laugh from Scott. Even though it felt good to have something to laugh about, the action caused the Alpha to wince as pain shot through his chest. He bit down on his lower lip to silence himself before Stiles could change his mind.

Kira looked more than a little concerned when she climbed into the backseat of Stiles’ jeep some ten minutes later. Scott was in the front passenger seat, ever so slightly hunched over. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked, her eyes looking to Stiles for an answer.

“Not really,” he sighed, shrugging his shoulders. Scott just glared. “Whatever the Alpha says, I guess.”

Scott did his best to block out their voices and focus. He couldn’t explain it but he’d felt a strong pull towards the outskirts of town and had directed Stiles that way, much to his friend’s confusion. “I just… I’ve got a feeling, okay?” he pleaded. Stiles didn’t look overly convinced but he turned the jeep around and followed Scott’s directions.

“Liam and Brett are going to meet us,” Kira informed them, tapping away at her cell phone. Scott felt some reassurance at that. He knew he definitely wasn’t up to fighting standard and while he had great faith in Kira’s abilities, he didn’t want to risk sending her up alone against the Anarchist. They’d barely survived it as a pack, no one person would be able to make it through an encounter without back-up.

After fifteen minutes of driving they were almost at the highway leading out of town when a familiar scent Scott’s nose. “Stiles, stop the jeep!” he exclaimed so suddenly that Stiles almost lost control. The jeep spun wildly for a few seconds before he hit the brakes and they screeched to a halt, half off the side of the road.

“Dude, what the hell?!” Stiles snapped, breathing heavily.

The scent was faint but still distinguishable. Scott had grown used to that sent over the months, after all. “Theo,” he muttered, his heart starting to beat quicker in his chest. “He’s nearby,” he said, louder this time.

“You can smell him?” Kira asked, pulling out her cell phone and typing out a message.

“Only just,” he confirmed. Something akin to relief washed over him. If he could still smell Theo’s scent then that meant that the chimera had to be alive. It was fresh, not like the rotting smells of corpses he had unfortunately been familiar with in the past. No matter what, Theo was _alive_. Scott was smiling before he even realized it.

Stiles hummed from beside him, glancing out at the dark empty streets around them. There wasn’t much to be seen, no stores or houses. There was a gas station a mile or so down the street and woodland past that. Not many places to keep a chimera prisoner - at least not above ground. “Do you think it was the bind?” Stiles asked suddenly, getting Scott’s attention. “I mean, sure, it’s broken but there’s got to be part of it leftover, right? That’s what’s affecting you. It lead you here.”

Scott considered it for a moment before nodding. “That makes sense,” he realized. He had figured that his connection with Theo had been severed entirely but now that he thought about it more, that couldn’t be the case or he wouldn’t still be in pain. “Keep driving. He’s somewhere near here.”

Theo’s scent was at its strongest a few miles into the woodland so Stiles pulled over to the side of the road. The trio scanned the area illuminated by the jeep’s headlights and saw nothing but trees. Hardly unexpected considering it was a forest but still somehow unsettling. “There’s got to be a cave or something around here,” Scott suggested, already pulling at the door handle when he felt Stiles grab him.

“Woah, woah, what do you think you’re doing?” Stiles asked sharply.

“Going to find Theo!” Scott retorted, lips pulling into a frown. This really wasn’t the time for Stiles to suddenly throw a tantrum.

“We should wait for the rest of the pack,” Kira suggested. A spike of bother shot through Scott at the suggestion and he felt anger bubble up inside of him.

“ _No_. If I can smell Theo then who’s to say the Anarchist can’t smell us? He’s got the heart of an Omega, right? He should be able to smell an Alpha from a mile away. He might kill Theo now he knows we’ve found him!” he argued in response, shrugging out of Stiles’ grip and all but falling out of the jeep. Stiles was by his side in a second, holding him up until Scott pushed him away. “I can do this,” he grunted, forcing himself to deal with the pain as he marched towards the trees. Slow, careful footsteps behind him confirmed that both Stiles and Kira had followed.

None of them spoke for the next ten minutes. Scott wasn’t sure exactly what they were looking for, he just knew that Theo was _somewhere_ nearby and he was desperate to find him. He was already thinking about what the boy had been forced to endure by the Anarchist, of how broken he would probably be when they found him. It ate him up more than he wanted to admit. Why did he even care? Until a few months ago Theo had done everything in his power to tear the pack apart and kill him? Sometimes Scott wished he had it in him to give up on people rather than always believing in second chances because god, it would make his life so much easier.

“Guys, over here!” Kira’s voice broke through the silence and Scott staggered as quickly as he could to her location. She was crouched down in front of a hole in the ground that was partially concealed by rocks, leaves and -- “Mountain ash.” Definitely the sign of a druid. She had found it!

“I’ve got this,” Stiles muttered, pushing the mountain ash ring around the hole apart. “But for the record, I think this is a really bad idea.”

Before Scott even had the chance to move, Kira swung her legs into the hole and glanced at Stiles. “Liam and Brett are on their way. We’ll be fine,” she told him, although Scott could smell the fear on her. He wasn’t surprised, even he felt terror seeping through his body at what they might find. He watched as Kira lowered herself into the hole and her feet easily reached the bottom. “Looks like there’s a path.”

Scott was next down and he reluctantly let both his best friend and ex-girlfriend help him after a failed attempt had left him wincing in agony. He had expected some sort of comment by Stiles that it was a sign they shouldn’t go through with this but no such comment ever came. Instead Stiles followed him down into the hole and they crept down the path for what felt like hours.

Finally the path widened and they found themselves in a large cave decorated by carvings of symbols and words. Stiles and Kira seemed distracted by them but there was something else that caught Scott’s attention.

At the end of the cave, hung up in the air by chains was a body. Its naked body was marked by open wounds and bruises that were nowhere near healed, to the point that Scott struggled to recognize the face underneath all the damage. It dawned on him quickly who he was looking at though just by the swelling of his heart. “ _Theo_ ,” he gasped, drawing his friends’ attention to the chimera so brutally placed on display. Scott didn’t even stop to think about what that meant, he was already stumbling forward. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do other than take any of Theo’s pain that he could.

“Scott, don’t--” Stiles had started but it was too late. Scott had barely made it three feet from the entrance of the cave before a tall figure stepped out of the shadows and placed itself between Scott and Theo. _The Anarchist_.

“I knew that keeping your little chimera pet alive would bring you here,” the druid hissed, causing Scott’s insides to twist. A part of him had already known it but the confirmation that Theo had been nothing more than bait for him made him feel sick. “A sick, damaged Alpha ready to offer himself like a meal.” The laugh that followed sent a shiver down Scott’s spine. He was in half a mind to turn and run as fast as he could but he knew he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t leave Theo.

“Scott, get out of the way,” Kira hissed, drawing his attention away. Electricity crackled from her skin as she pulled her belt out and clicked it into place as a sword. He stumbled back into Stiles’ arms as she faced the Anarchist alone, readying herself for an attack.

For a second it seemed like neither of them was about to make the first move but then the Anarchist dove forward at such an incredible speed that Scott thought for a moment he’d actually teleported. Kira dodged to her left, swinging as she moved and the Anarchist howled, its cry chilling them all to the bone.

With their opponent momentarily distracted, Scott grabbed Stiles and nod towards Theo. “We need to get him down.” Stiles didn’t think twice before dashing over to the end of the cave, leaving Scott stumbling after him. By the time he’d reached it, Stiles was desperately pulling on the lock that had Theo hoisted into the air but it didn’t move an inch. “Here, let me,” Scott grunted, pushing Stiles out of the way. Since the bind had been broken he hadn’t felt anywhere near his usual Alpha strength but he seemed suddenly revitalized in Theo’s presence and within seconds he’d managed to pull the release sharply back. Theo was sent tumbling to the ground, his chains falling down around him.

“We need something to break these!” Stiles declared, grabbing the cuffs around Theo’s wrists. He’d barely made contact when they clicked open, releasing the chimera. For a second neither Scott nor Stiles reacted. That had been… well, there really was no explanation for it. Opting not to question it, they pulled Theo up and placed an arm over their shoulders -

And then a sword wedged itself straight through Scott’s chest.

For a moment all he could feel was binding hot pain and his eyes screwed tightly shut as he begged for it all to be over. He’d felt uncontrollable pain for days and yet the sword multiplied it to the point that even death seemed like a welcome alternative. It was only guessing what the sword in his chest meant that pulled Scott back to reality and forced him to open his eyes.

He watched in horror as Kira desperately crawled towards them before a boot pinned her down to the ground. The Anarchist loomed over her, practically vibrating in power. His exposed hand began to glow and Scott felt himself shift without ever meaning to. His own pain suddenly seemed secondary as he pulled the sword out of his chest and lowered himself in preparation to charge. He didn’t want to think about how much distance was between him and Kira, how the Anarchist would probably get to her before he ever could. He wouldn’t lose her like he’d lost Allison. He _couldn’t_.

Before he could even take a step forward, something tall and strong barrelled into the Anarchist, bowling him off his feet and freeing Kira. It took Scott a moment to recognize the blond hair and flash of yellow eyes. _Brett_. A second later and he was joined by both Liam and Malia, the trio circling the Anarchist like predators.

“Scott, we need to go,” Stiles hissed, struggling to support Theo’s weight by himself. He began to drag the chimera towards the exit as Scott crossed the cave and helped Kira to her feet. She was bleeding in a number of places and one of her wrists was twisted painfully in an awkward direction but she was alive and that was all that mattered to him.

“Are you okay?” he asked, grabbing her and pulling her against his chest. The thought that he had almost lost her terrified him. He’d never have been able to live with himself, not after he’d pushed her away for the past couple of months. She made a quiet noise that he took as a confirmation before shuffling towards the exit.

The moment Kira, Stiles and Theo were almost out, Scott turned back to where the betas were circling the Anarchist as he rose to his feet. “Scott, you’re not strong enough!” Stiles yelled after him but the Alpha refused to listen. He wasn’t going to walk away from this encounter until the Anarchist was dead, he was sure of it.

His confidence was battered just a few seconds later when the Anarchist moved with incredible speed to fight off all three betas and send Scott flying back across the cave. His body was screaming in pain and yet he forced himself up again. He was helpless to watch as Malia received a punch to the face that resulted in a loud _crack_ and Liam received a swipe across his stomach, cutting up his shirt and slicing his stomach open.

The Anarchist seemed ready to finish off the retreating Liam when Brett dived in the way, landing a solid blow on the druid’s chest. He stumbled back several metres, caught off guard and defenceless. “Liam, go!” Brett growled, grabbing his former classmate and all but throwing him towards the exit. Scott was there to catch him and restrain him when he struggled to get free and return to the fight.

Those precious seconds had cost Brett his advantage because he’d barely turned around before the Anarchist’s glowing hand pressed down against his chest.

Nobody moved for a moment, not even to breathe. Scott watched in horror as the hand burned through Brett’s skin and closed around his heart. Brett’s eyes flashed yellow for one final moment before the heart was ripped right out of his chest and his body fell limply to the ground.

Even from the other side of town, Scott recognized the scream of a banshee in the air. The Anarchist dropped Brett’s heart and fell to the ground, hands clutched over his ears as he writhed in agony.

The pack took advantage of their foe’s temporary paralysis and fled the cave. Scott brought up the rear, dragging Liam with them. The boy was sobbing, his cheeks wet with tears as his strength seemed to wane the further they got from his former rival’s body. Scott did his best not to think about the fact they were leaving it behind or that the Anarchist now had the heart of a Beta in his possession.

As they all escaped the hole and fled towards two waiting vehicles, Scott fought back tears of his own. A few moments later and he found himself in the back of Brett’s car with Liam pressed against his chest. The keys were still in the ignition and Malia sat behind the wheel, practically vibrating in fury.

They hadn’t even made it a mile from the Anarchist’s cave before Liam began to howl. Scott didn’t even need to question it, he could feel Liam’s pain through their bond as an Alpha and a Beta and it eclipsed his own physical pain by far. Knowing there were no words that could heal the boy’s broken heart, Scott closed his eyes and let Liam grieve the only way he knew how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I endeavor to update quicker than a month next time... fingers crossed?


End file.
